The present invention is generally directed to tipper systems for vehicles, and in particular to door type side tipper systems. Such systems can be used on different types of vehicles including road and rail trucks, trailers and semi-trailers for bulk or mass material haulage and transport.
Conventional door type side tipper systems utilise an elongate container body having a generally rectangular cross-section. A hinged door is provided . along one elongate side of the container body, the hinge extending continuously along the length of the door. This door is provided on a discharge side of the body. A series of body hinges are also provided between the container body and the vehicle chassis supporting the body to allow the container body to be tipped towards its discharge side. The hinged door is opened prior to or during this tipping motion to allow the product held within the container body to be tipped therefrom. Because of the loads applied to the container body during tipping motions and vehicle travel, elongate body runners and lateral cross members are required to be secured to the container body for support and reinforcement reasons.
Such conventional door type side tipper systems therefore have a number of disadvantages as follows:
a substantial amount of work is required to manufacture and incorporate the door and body hinges
a the inclusion of the door and body hinges adds a significant weight to a side tipper system
the door hinge arrangement cannot be readily sealed leading to the escape of liquids which can be environmentally harmful; a loss of valuable material held within the container body can also occur
corrosive materials can enter and seize up the door and/or body hinges
material can be caught in and can break the door and/or body hinges
there are high maintenance costs due to the large number of moving parts
the required body runners and cross members significantly add to the overall weight and cost of the system
the doors can often get bogged in a dumped heap of tipped product because of the low height of the door when the system is fully tipped.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle side tipper system that avoids at least one of the above-noted problems.
With this in mind, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle tipper system comprising:
a container body having a displaceable side wall located on a discharge side of the container body, the side wall being flexibly connected with and displaceable relatively to the rest of the container body;
at least one actuation assembly for displacing the side wall to an open position away from the rest of the container body; and for tipping the container body such that product held within the container body can be tipped from the discharge side thereof when the side wall is in the open position.
The displaceable side wall may therefore provide the door for the tipper system according to the present invention.
The side wall may form a part of a body skin. In the transport position of the tipper system prior to any tipping thereof, the body skin is supported to form a relatively rigid elongate channel which provides a floor and a fixed side wall of the container body, as well as the displaceable side wall. The body skin may be formed from any one of a variety of different materials including aluminium, steel, plastics, rubber and stainless steel depending on the operation and product to be transported. It is however also envisaged that the body skin be formed of a composite of materials. For example, the displaceable side wall portion of the body skin may be made of a flexible material, with the rest of the body skin being made of a relatively rigid material.
In a possible arrangement of the present invention, the body skin may be formed of a sheet of steel, the stiffness of the steel being sufficiently low to allow a portion of the steel sheet to provide the displaceable side wall, This is particularly applicable for relatively small container bodies. In the case of larger container bodies, the steel will need to be of a greater thickness to provide structural strength, this thickness being such that the stiffness becomes too high to allow for ready flexing of the sheet. It is therefore alternatively possible for a flexible hinge to be provided between the sheet forming the side wall and the sheet providing the body skin.
The flexible hinge may extend at least substantially the entire length of the side wall. The flexible hinge may be in the form of one or more flexible sheets interconnecting the side wall and the rest of the body skin. The flexible sheet may be formed from rubber or any other flexible material. Alternatively, the flexible hinge may include at least one elongate flexible billet extending along at least substantially the entire length of the side wall, the flexible billet being fastened or clamped between sections of the body skin, the side wall and/or intermediate sections where more than one flexible billet is provided. The flexible billet may be bolted or clamped between said body skin, side wall and/or intermediate sections such that it is held in compression. The flexible billet may also be formed from rubber or other flexible material.
The body skin may be supported between two end assemblies of the container body. Each end assembly may include an end panel providing an end wall for the container body. A flange may be provided on the end panel, and a portion of the periphery of the body skin may be secured to the flange. The portion of the body skin providing the displaceable side wall may however remain detached from the flange to thereby allow movement thereof. The body skin may be secured by means of fastening means such as, for example, bolts or rivets. A resilient means such as a rubber sheet may be provided between the body skin and the flange. This allows for a degree of twist movement of the container body. This can occur when there is a variation in loading along the container body as it is tipped due to the distribution of product contained therein. A resilient means may also extend between the displaceable side wall and the end assembly to provide a tight seal there between. Alternatively, the body skin may be secured thereto by welding or by adhesive. It is also envisaged that the body skin may be secured directly to the end panel.
The actuation assembly may include a means for displacing the displaceable side wall. The displacing means may include a respective door ram assembly mounted between each end assembly and the displaceable side wall. The ram assembly may be pivotally mounted on the end assembly and may have an actuation arm extending therefrom and pivotally connected to the displaceable side wall. Extension of the actuation arm results in movement of the side wall to the open position. Retraction of the actuating arm returns the side wall to its initial position. The ram assembly may be either hydraulic or pneumatic ram in operation.
The container body may be supported on a chassis cradle frame, and may be pivotally mounted to the chassis cradle frame. In particular, each end assembly of the container body may be pivotally mounted to a body pivot provided on or adjacent the chassis cradle frame. The body pivot points may be located adjacent the discharge side of the container body. The chassis cradle frame also helps to support the body skin of the container body when holding product therein.
The actuation assembly may further include means for tipping the container body. The tipping means may include a respective body ram assembly mounted between each end assembly and the chassis cradle frame. The ram assembly may be pivotally mounted on or adjacent the chassis cradle frame and may have an actuation arm extending therefrom and pivotally connected to the end assembly. Extension of the actuation arm results in the movement of the container body to the tipping position due to rotation of the container body about the body pivot mounts. The ram assembly may be either hydraulic or pneumatic ram in operation.
The actuation assembly may, in an alternative preferred embodiment of the vehicle tipper system of the present invention include a single ram assembly, and a mechanical linkage arrangement for both displacing the side wall and for tipping the container body. The ram assembly may be pivotally mounted on or adjacent the chassis cradle frame and may have an actuation arm extending therefrom. The actuation arm may be pivotally connected to a primary linkage arm mounted at one end thereof at or adjacent a top corner of the end assembly away from the side wall.
A secondary linkage arm may also be provided. One end of the secondary linkage arm may be pivotally connected to the side wall. A cross linkage may interconnect the opposing end of the primary and secondary linkage arms. The secondary linkage arm may include a lateral extension which may be pivotally mounted adjacent a side support means provided on the chassis frame. This support means may include a support pipe extending longitudinally along the side of the chassis frame adjacent the side wall. When the side wall is closed, or during opening of the side wall, the side wall may be supported by the secondary linkage arm which itself may be supported on the support pipe. This support is important where a flexible hinge is provided for the side wall. The linkage arrangement may provide an xe2x80x9cover-centrexe2x80x9d assembly such that the initial pivotal displacement of the primary linkage arm, which is displaced by means of the ram assembly, results in the opening of the side wall. Further pivotal displacement of the primary linkage arm results in the tipping of the container body while the side wall remains open.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the vehicle tipper system according to the present invention, the container body may include a further upper door located over the displaceable side wall and pivotally mounted on the container body. The actuation assembly may include means to open both the upper door and side wall forming a xe2x80x9clower doorxe2x80x9d thereof. Both the upper and lower doors may open simultaneously. To this end, a rigid link may connect the upper door to a linkage arm of the actuation assembly, the linkage arm being pivotally mounted to the end wall and urged for movement by a ram assembly.
The actuation assembly may include a further actuation means for displacing the side wall. This further actuation means allows for a displacement of the side wall when it is not required or desired to tip the container body. The actuation means may include a further ram assembly connecting the side wall with the rest of the actuation assembly.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tipping vehicle including a vehicle tipper system according to the present invention.
The vehicle tipper system according to the present invention provides a door type side tipper system which does not require any door hinges or body hinges of the type used on conventional door type side tipper systems. Furthermore, the construction of the tipper system according to the present invention significantly reduces the weight of the tipper system. The disadvantages of conventional door type side tipper systems can therefore be generally avoided by the vehicle tipper system according to the present invention.